VAAP testifies on S.56, Access to Immigration justice

On February 19, VAAP joined Vermont Judiciary Access to Justice Coalition members in testifying before the Vermont House Judiciary Committee on the need for increased general appropriations toward access to civil legal assistance in Vermont. VAAP’s testimony focused on the economic impact of immigration and access to legal assistance, highlighting Vermont's history of underfunding immigration legal aid, the looming funding cliff for VAAP and the State Refugee Office, and how upstream investments in coordinated legal assistance through measures like S.56 (2025) can prevent costly downstream consequences. I urged support for the Access to Justice Coalition’s request for appropriations to the Vermont Bar Foundation—our current funder, with pending applications. Watch the full testimony here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSthinr8UcoOyOCihREkRvA/featured.